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#Post#: 121720--------------------------------------------------
Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court summons
DIR By: ArenJool
Date: June 13, 2026, 5:16 pm
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Hi all.
Out of the blue, I received a court summons stating that Tower
Hamlets were after fees for an unpaid PCN for "failing to comply
with a restriction on vehicles entering a pedestrian zone" on
"West Tenter Street".
The thing is, I remember driving through that road for a work
meeting at 10am and being very careful not to enter during the
displayed restricted hours which were 8.13-9.15am and 3-3.45pm.
The letter offered three options for defence: challenge not
accepted, challenge not responded to or non receipt of pcn.
I had to go to my local court to make a statutory declaration of
non receipt of PCN.
The court cancelled the claim and Tower Hamlets send me the PCN.
Their image and letter states that I entered at 9.26 am. This is
obviously outside the sign restrictions (and even their website
confirms this) but their images conveniently do not show the
full sign.
I challenged stating that I did not agree that a contravention
occurred.
They then sent me a letter stating they cancelled the PCN, and
apologising for any inconvenience caused.
I can only assume their automated systems do not match the
stated restrictions.
I am so angry. Imagine the number of drivers obeying the law yet
receiving this BS PCN. I would bet that most of them pay
believing they actually made an error.
Me going to the local court to make a declaration, and parking
there, and driving to the location again to take pictures (I
wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy) all cost me money.
Can I claim any of this (and the anxiety and stress) back? I'd
like to donate it to this site.
I'd like to punish them so that they don't do this to anyone
else.
What a waste of the courts' time, and taxpayer funds.
Thanks for advice.
#Post#: 121722--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: stamfordman
Date: June 13, 2026, 5:41 pm
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You can write to the council if you want and send them an
invoice - who knows they may pay it.
It's concerning that you presumably only got the order for
recovery - you were missing the PCN and a charge certificate,
two letters.
Check the logbook and see if the name and address are correct.
#Post#: 121725--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: tincombe
Date: June 14, 2026, 2:07 am
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IMO, the answer to your question is no, you cannot 'claim any of
this (and the anxiety and stress) back?'. Your remedy was
procedural i.e. get the Order for Recovery(OfR) revoked etc.
I can understand your frustration, but IMO are mixing two
issues.
The Order for Recovery (from the council, but issued under the
authority of the Traffic Enforcement Centre(the 'court')) was
NOT cancelled because the contravention did not occur, it was
cancelled because you asserted to TEC that you did not receive
the PCN.
The PCN however was cancelled because you made representations
to the council that the contravention did not occur.
From your account, your expenses and stress related to the
OfR(they couldn't refer to the PCN because at that time you
hadn't seen it). TEC revoke OfRs hundreds of times a week and if
every time they did a council was on the hook for a claim from a
motorist, then you could see that this might encourage '000s of
motorists to do this even when PCNs were received because TEC
doesn't ask for proof of non-receipt(which would be impossible)
it acts simply on a motorist's say-so(signed statement of
truth).
You then have the apparently clearly wrong PCN allegation which
was dealt with from home without any fuss or bother.
#Post#: 121729--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: NorthernUpholder
Date: June 14, 2026, 2:39 am
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Why did you not receive the PCN or charge certificate?
Is the address on your V5C correct and up to date? The council
would have sent a PCN to the address the DVLA have on file. If
that was wrong, it's not their fault.
Councils don't just forget to send you stuff. They will have
records that they printed and sent your PCN. If the PCN gets
lost between being handed over to the carrier and ending up
being read by you, that isn't the council's fault.
When you say went to court do you mean you filled in a TE9
witness statement, possibly accompanied by the TE7 out of time
form? Or you had to physically attend a court. If the former you
want to punish the council for a process that makes you fill in
a couple of pieces of paper?
#Post#: 121731--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: mickR
Date: June 14, 2026, 4:01 am
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--- Quote from: NorthernUpholder link ---
>
> If the former you want to punish the council for a process
that makes you fill in a couple of pieces of paper?
>
--- End Quote ---
you seem somewhat derisive of people who can be very distressed
at court or the threat of court papers.
--- Quote ---
> When you say went to court do you mean you filled in a TE9
witness statement, possibly accompanied by the TE7 out of time
form? Or you had to physically attend a court.
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Me going to the local court to make a declaration, and parking
there and driving to the location again to take pictures (I
wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy) all cost me money.
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 121760--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: NorthernUpholder
Date: June 14, 2026, 2:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Sorry I don't understand what went on here. We are trying to
understand why you got a court summons out of the blue. There is
a process to these things, they don't just forget to send out
letters and then go for a court summons.
Something has happened to the previous letters, either your post
is going astray or the DVLA have sent the wrong address to the
council. Or maybe it was a lease car. We don't have enough
information to answer your question.
Trying to figure out what the problem is, is not irrelevant.
#Post#: 121765--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: ArenJool
Date: June 14, 2026, 4:19 pm
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Apologies if I have not been clear.
To clarify, yes, I think my post is going astray. There have
been huge delays with my mail and sometimes I've been waiting
for important mail and it hasn't turned up.
I had to go to the local court to sign a witness statement. I
understand that it is not the council's fault that my post does
not get to me in a timely manner, but the following is the
councils fault:
1-Not setting the auto PCN system to match the sign restriction
times/website restrictions times;
2-Not checking the data before sending the second council letter
3-Not checking the data before complaining to the court to get
them to send me an order for recovery
4-Not checking the data before sending me the PCN a second time
These are 4 failures by the council that are easily resolved,
and if was, would have saved taxpayer money. It seems the
council are relying on automated systems and in doing so are
sending threats to law abiding motorists who may pay a false
charge because they may not remember specific details out of
fear of an increased charge.
I understand automated systems need to be relied upon to save
money but that shouldn't stop human intervention at any of the 4
points above.
It seems to me that this is just a money making scam. I was just
trying to find a way to get them to open their eyes to the
situation so it doesn't happen again.
Thanks for your responses.
#Post#: 121767--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: tincombe
Date: June 14, 2026, 4:34 pm
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1-Not setting the auto PCN system to match the sign restriction
times/website restrictions times;
2-Not checking the data before sending the second council letter
3-Not checking the data before complaining to the court to get
them to send me an order for recovery
4-Not checking the data before sending me the PCN a second time
Sorry but you are wrong as regards addresses.
The council MUST use the info provided by DVLA as regards the
registered keeper on the day of contravention in ALL
correspondence unless you notify them to the contrary.
You could put in place mail forwarding if you move to prevent
such problems or notify the council to use a new address for
correspondence.
#Post#: 121772--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: ArenJool
Date: June 14, 2026, 4:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: tincombe link ---
>
> 1-Not setting the auto PCN system to match the sign
restriction times/website restrictions times;
> 2-Not checking the data before sending the second council
letter
> 3-Not checking the data before complaining to the court to get
them to send me an order for recovery
> 4-Not checking the data before sending me the PCN a second
time
>
> Sorry but you are wrong as regards addresses.
>
> The council MUST use the info provided by DVLA as regards the
registered keeper on the day of contravention in ALL
correspondence unless you notify them to the contrary.
> You could put in place mail forwarding if you move to prevent
such problems or notify the council to use a new address for
correspondence.
>
--- End Quote ---
No need to apologise my friend.
The address was all correct. I am not blaming the council for my
mail.
When I wrote "not checking data" I mean "not checking system
restriction timing data against actual restriction timing data
on road signs and website"
#Post#: 121844--------------------------------------------------
Re: Can I punish Tower Hamlets for an invalid PCN and Court
summons
DIR By: stamfordman
Date: June 15, 2026, 8:25 am
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If you want to pursue this, you need to do a subject request or
FOI on the PCNs issued there are how many were outside the
restricted time. It may well be yours is the only one.
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